Feels historic, intimate and exclusive, but the fo...

Feels historic, intimate and exclusive, but the food is mediocre.

When approaching the Procope via the narrow alleyway back entrance you feel like you ve found a hidden gem of Saint Germain. Pulling back the heavy purple curtains and entering into the warm gloom of the velvet vestibule piques the intrigue. Peeling the second set of curtains back you re greeted into a gold light, paintings of lords and ladies, shelves of antique books and mirrors. The waiting staff are smartly dressed in white shirts and waistcoats and direct you with beaming smiles to the cloakroom at the front. At this point you realise, from the grand main entrance along a wide boulevard, that it is not quite as hidden as you thought. But never mind, the ambiance is full of pomp.



I went for the snails, which as always, were a mere envoy for the garlic, but admittedly these had a superior texture to the usual standard. Unfortunately, the bread was not good enough to fully enjoy the mop up job; cold and a bit tough quel dommage. My companion s foie gras was rather cher at 22 euros for nothing exceptional, but perfectly smooth and serviceable.

For main, the braised beef cheeks on parmesan macaroni had great potential but ended in disappointment. The beef was perfectly tender - having been cooked since 8 in the morning according to the waitress but barely any flavour! I reached for the pepper, but it couldn t save the day. The less said about the macaroni the better. The pasta was of supermarket quality and overbaked in the cheese rendering the combination tough and dry. Companion s fish with risotto on the side was unremarkable, but what dingbat orders risotto in a French restaurant ?

The wine, a Chinon, was a superb, woody variety with plenty of character and the only thing that was reasonably priced at around 35 euros.

The staff were charismatic and professional, and made us feel like royalty. We stayed an embarrassingly long time, whilst they were setting up for the dinner service, but we were never made to feel uncomfortable.

I would strongly recommend a Saturday lunch at the Procope for the experience, but order the reasonably priced set menu, a bottle of Chinon and soak up the atmosphere for as long as possible.

@geimystill